Pistol balance



Oct. 21, 1941. D. w. KING PISTOL BALANCE Filed Jan. 24, 1938 INVENTOR,

\ DEAN KIN WW ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 21, 1941 Application Januar'y Z v 4 Claims.

, This invention relates to-pistols (including re- 4, 8,'S e"r ial- No. 186,643?

volvers-l? and "particularly to-"target pistolsand suchothers-as a'reusedwhere a particularly high degree of accuracy is required.

Given a weapon which-is constructed with sufiicient- -amountof accuracy to; permit of 'fine shooting the score I which an individual marksman will fmake depends-not only 1 upon his steadiness and eye-sight but uponthe-balance of the weapon; i. e; upon the distributionof its weight. When itisfired the recoil tendsto throw the muzzle upward; and a portion-of this throw occurs before--the'-.bullet has-left the muzzle. This a modification ofthe-closure-atjthe muzzle end of must 'beallow'ed forby the marksman. A large part of his' skill consists;' in knowing how to allow for'-this 'throw, -and the amountofthe throw, in

'turne depehds ir'rpar-t at least upon the balance. Since this matter di allowing forthe-recoil is so largely a matterjof personal skill,-it follows that V 20.;cal weight;and' my-preferred-method of attach-- different marksmen -will have very different ideas as to what constitutes a proper balance, depending in part,perhaps, upon the particular weapon with which their previous shooting has been done, or their technique in bringing the sights upon the target. Almost universally, however, good marksmen prefer to have the weight well forward toward the muzzle of the barrel, but when it comes to the question of how far forward it should be their ideas difier widely. A rough test of the balance is to hang the pistol from a forefinger inserted through the trigger guard; Some marksmen prefer that the weight be so far forward that the muzzle dips below the horizontal when this is done; others prefer to have it hang horizontal, or to point it slightly upward.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a means whereby the balance of any pistol may be adjusted accurately to the requirements 'of any marksman. With this end in view other objects are: To provide a balancing device which adds; rather than detracts from the appearance of the weapon; to provide a device which in no way affects the other factors which are necessary for accuracy; to provide a device which does not set up stresses in the barrel, whether the latter be hot or cold; and to provide abalancing device in which adjustment of balance can be made with a great degree of accuracy and very quickly.

Other objects of my invention will be apparent or will be specifically pointed out in the description forming a part of this specification, but I do not limit myself to the embodiment of the invention herein described, as various forms may be adopted within the scope of the claims.

Referring to thedrawing: Figurelis a view in elevation showing mydevice as-applied to-a popular type of automatic pistol; a portion of -the' frame ofthe pistol and the invention itself being shown in section.

Figure 2 isa fragmentary view, also partially in section, showing a slight modification of my inventionat its point of attachirient to the pistol frame Figure 3; is another fragmentaryview showingthe-device. I v

The general features of the invention are clear-' ly shown in Figure 1, whichindicates in elevation .a pistol having a butt I, a barrel -2',*frame 3, trigger*guard"' l', -and-trigger-5, all of well, known typesi The balancing device of my invention is secured to '-the frame-parallelwand below the l barrel. The device itself-isessentiallya cylindri-- ingthis weight is to -fo'rm;a circular recess 1 1 the frame immediately in frontcf the trigger guard, as, for example, by the use of an end mill.

A tapped hole for receiving a screw 8 is centered within this recess. I prefer to secure the outer end of the weight by means of a dove-tail mounting 9, similar to a sight mount, positioned at the outer end of the barrel below the-sight. This abutment carries a band III, which has the same internal diameter as does the recess 1.

In its preferred form the weight comprises a tubular casing l2, the bottom of which is aper v tured to pass the screw 8. The casing is therefore rigidly secured to the frame by the screw 8 at its rear or butt end, but is slidably mounted in the band ID at its outer or muzzle end. Thisprevents any stresses being set .up within the barrel of the weapon due to differential expansion when the latter becomes heated from shooting.

Within the tubular casing are mounted one or more slidable cylindrical poises or Weight portions. These fit within the tubular casing, and bear at one end against a helical spring l3 which is secured to the head of the screw 8, and which, when compressed, fits around the head of this screw. The muzzle end of the casing is threaded to receive a closure or plug M, which forces the poises against the spring to prevent their shifting.

I prefer to provide several poises and to make these poises of materials having difi'erent densities. Thus the poise I5 is shown as a steel tube filled with mercury, whereas the poise I1 is a solid steel cylinder. I also prefer to supply additional poises of aluminum and lead.

It will be seen that the casing itself, and any course, be possible to use a single long poise filled with mercury, which would give the maximum forward shift to the center of mass, or, for am other marksman, the mere empty casing itself. might add sufficient muzzle weight. 'Witlrmore poises of the materials mentionedyi, e.,;merc.11r3t;

steel, lead, and aluminum, nine variations of balanc in very small increments may be obtained;

The variable feature, although very valuable, is

not. an essential featureof the invention.-- It:is

possible. to. use ,l-a simple weight, comprising a single so1id,rod20, shown in Figure 2.- Thisrod may itself bear a threade dgtangiz I, thus elime. inating the necessity of providing the additional screw -8. v

It is also,clearlyobvious that other: forms of closure may be used than the threaded one shown in Figure -l, the bayonet.- catch comprising the J-slots- 24, formed in the muzzleend of the tubular casing I! (as shown in Fig. 3), and cooperatingwith the pins-Z5 on; the plug, r closure l4 being one modifications In. the, specification and claims of this apDlica tion the weight has.- been spoken ,of as -.cylindrica It is desirable that-,it be truly cylindricaL. since thismore readily permits attachment to the pistol. It may, however, ;be"a polygonal prism of hexa final, octagonal, or otherdesired ,form these forms being ,substantially;cylindrical within the meaning of the claims,

I claim:

1. In combination with a pistol having a barrel and a frame, a tubular casing mounted beneath and substantially parallel with said barrel means for securing said casing at its butt end within a cylindrical recess in said frame, a weight slidably fitting within said casing and comprising a plurality of coextensive portions of different density and interchangeable in position, and a closure for, said casing bearing ,againsti-the end ,of said weight and removable to permitsaid weight to be changed or removed.

, 2. In combination with a pistol having a frame and a barrel mounted thereon, a cylindrical weightmounted below said barrel and engaged within a cylindrical recess formed in said frame, said weight comprising a tubular casing having a closed-vreariend centrally apertured, a screw passing through said aperture and tapped into saidframe, a helical spring surrounding and secured 1 to=- the head of; said screw, a poise within saidcasin aand a closure: for .-the muzzle end-of said --casing=for forcing said. -poiseagainst said.

spring. 7

3. In combination, a pistol havinga barrel-and a frame,.a cylindrical-recessin-theforward end of. said-frame .below said barrel; a band, suspend-.-

ed below said barrel at: the muzzle-- end thereof andiin alinement with the aforementioned 'cylinqdricalirecess and-a cylindrical :weight having one end supportedinsaid band, and meansfor an-v choring' the other: end insaid recess: q:

with ztheaforementioned cylindrical recess,- and a cylindrical weight :having one, end. anchored in i 2 said cylindrical recess 1 and its :other'end support;- i

ed in said. band.-

DEANNV'. KING." 

